Through the Wire

Lifetime Flick Forges a 'Lipstick’ Bond

It was an emotional night last Tuesday in Los Angeles for new bosom buddies Geralyn Lucas and Sarah Chalke, her TV-movie alter ego.

The two each got choked up describing the bond they forged as Scrubs star Chalke prepared for the role Lifetime TV employee Lucas played in real life: a fast-tracking young TV executive who discovers, at 27, she has breast cancer.

The TV movie, which premieres tonight (Oct. 23) from 9 to 11 p.m., is based on Lucas’ book, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy.

Chalke’s family and co-stars from Scrubs, including Zach Braff and Donald Faison, supported her at the screening. The actress confessed that, although she’s nearly 30, she’d never thought of doing a breast self-exam until she met Lucas. “And now, I can’t stop,” she joked.

Note the necklace Chalke wears throughout the film. It’s a heart, a gift from Lucas. (For a review of the movie, see page 22.)

Lifetime had a standing-room-only crowd at trendy, heavily booked new hot spot Social Hollywood. Burly, surly security guards who asked “Are you here for Justin” and waved you off if you gave the wrong answer confronted guests who approached the club at the wrong door. It seems singer Justin Timberlake had booked the lower floor — and the admission totem there definitely was not a pink breast-cancer awareness ribbon.

Pink, India.Arie Join Up For Great 'Hair’ Day Cause

The above-mentioned Lifetime movie features a star-powered single around which to build a viral marketing campaign.

“I Am Not My Hair” is a duet between Grammy winners India.Arie and Pink. India.Arie wrote and recorded the song last year. Pink admired it and desired a duet. But they were never able to work out logistics with their record labels, explained Marianne Goode, VP of music at Lifetime.

Breast-cancer awareness became the impetus to get a deal done: Associates of both performers have been touched by the disease, Goode said. India.Arie also drew inspiration from Melissa Etheridge, who performed at the Grammy Awards last year, her head bald following chemotherapy. The song contains a reference to Ethridge’s performance.

Other music, such as a cover of “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy and “These Photographs” by Joshua Radin, has been cleared for use in the movie. The duet will become part of a viral e-card sent to potential viewers, using photos of proud, bald breast-cancer survivors. It will also be used as a trailer promoting the film.

Flushing Flash Don Garber Opts For Futbol Over Mets

Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, the U.S. pro league, spoke at a conference in Manhattan last Thursday, the day after the New York Mets won the sixth game of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium in Flushing, N.Y.

Apropos of the moment, Garber told the Hispanic Television Summit audience that he grew up in Flushing. In fact, he said, “I’m probably the only commissioner that ever ran on the field after a World Series game, in 1969.” The Mets won that World Series, against the Baltimore Orioles, in five games. And in 1986, Garber said, he worked for the National Football League and was able to attend the seventh game of that World Series, won by the Mets over the Boston Red Sox.

“But last night,” he said, “I didn’t watch the Mets game. I was glued to the television and watching FC Barcelona play against Chelsea. And I think that speaks to an evolution that’s taking place among Americans in this country.”

Hopefully, no one had told him the score of that soccer game before he watched it. It was carried live on ESPN2, from Barcelona, that afternoon. Chelsea won, 1-0. The Mets lost Game 7 Thursday night, 3-1. For more on Garber’s remarks and the summit, see page 10.